In this online dating world we live in, we all have to look out for catfishing! Catfishing is creating a fake profile to attract someone online for usually deceitful reasons, like to get them to send you money. According to the Federal Trade Commission, $547 million was lost to romance scams in 2021.
How do you avoid being catfished? Experts say there are things you can do to protect yourself. For one, never send money to anyone you meet online. End the conversation if they won't agree to meet in person or engage in a video chat. Watch out for people who use poor grammar. Beware of anyone that professes their love for you quickly. Perform a reverse image search to see if their picture matches their name.
Social Catfish has released a database of the 100 most used photos in romance scams. Check out the database here. Be careful!